Milan has thousands of eateries, from pizzerias to grand old cafes, Michelin-starred restaurants in highfalutin surroundings to corner bars with a great selection of aperitivo-time tapas, gelaterie and traditional osterie. Avoid the obvious tourist traps: any place that has a menu showing photos of the dishes.

Cocktail hour starts at around 6:30pm. Around that time, a tapas-like spread of olives, crudités, cold pasta dishes, rice, salads, salamis, and breads makes its appearance in every city bar worth its salt. This is when the Milanese appear, as if by magic, from shopping or work, to meet up for cocktails, a bitter Campari, or a glass of prosecco. By the time aperitivo hour is over, thoughts turn towards supper and the restaurants start to fill up. This phenomenon takes place all over Milan.

If you find yourself tiring of Italian cuisine, there’s quite a variety of ethnic restaurants in Milan now; sushi and Chinese food are especially popular, especially the dim sum restaurants concentrated around Via Paolo Sarpi.